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Prosecutors Conduct Search of Jeong Jin-sang's Home and Office a Day After Kim Yong's Indictment (Comprehensive Report 2)

Prosecutors Conduct Search of Jeong Jin-sang's Home and Office a Day After Kim Yong's Indictment (Comprehensive Report 2) Jung Jin-sang, Chief of Political Coordination at the Party Representative Office, known as the right hand of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), and Kim Yong, Deputy Director of the Democratic Research Institute.

[Asia Economy reporters Choi Seok-jin, legal affairs specialist, and Kim Hyung-min] On the 9th, the prosecution conducted a search and seizure of the residence and office of Jeong Jin-sang, the Chief Political Coordination Officer of the party leader’s office, known as a close aide to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea.


This came just one day after Kim Yong, deputy director of the Democratic Research Institute, was indicted and detained on charges of violating the Political Funds Act for allegedly receiving several hundred million won in illegal election funds from private developers involved in the Daejang-dong project. There is speculation that the prosecution’s investigation is now targeting Lee Jae-myung.


The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 1 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Eom Hee-jun), which is investigating the Daejang-dong case, is currently conducting a search and seizure of Jeong’s residence this morning on charges of violating the Anti-Corruption Act and the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery).


The prosecution is also in the process of executing search warrants on Jeong’s offices located in the party leader’s secretariat within the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, and the Democratic Party headquarters.


Jeong, known as Lee’s “right-hand man,” is suspected of receiving approximately 140 million won in bribes from private developers involved in the Daejang-dong development, including lawyer Nam Wook.


The prosecution reportedly secured testimony from former Seongnam Urban Development Corporation Planning Director Yoo Dong-gyu and lawyer Nam, who were previously indicted, stating that Lee delivered 50 million won during the 2014 local elections when he was re-elected as mayor of Seongnam, and 40 million won in 2020, to Jeong.


Additionally, testimony was obtained indicating that Jeong was continuously entertained with alcohol and received expensive gifts during holidays from these individuals since 2013.


Jeong is also accused of instructing evidence destruction just before the prosecution’s search and seizure of former Director Yoo last September. Yoo recently claimed in a media interview that he threw his mobile phone out the window under Jeong’s orders at that time.


Jeong first established ties with Lee when Lee was working as a lawyer, later serving as Seongnam City Policy Director and Gyeonggi Province Policy Director. During the last presidential election, he served as deputy chief of the candidate’s secretariat within the election campaign committee.


Earlier, when the Daejang-dong development allegations surfaced last year and former Director Yoo was mentioned as a close aide to Lee, Lee denied this and instead named Jeong and Deputy Director Kim as his close aides. Meanwhile, the Suwon District Prosecutors’ Office Seongnam Branch is also investigating Jeong regarding the ‘Seongnam FC sponsorship fund’ allegations.


The Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 3 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office (Chief Prosecutor Kang Baek-shin) indicted Deputy Director Kim on the previous day for violating the Political Funds Act. The prosecution also indicted accomplices former Director Yoo, lawyer Jeong Min-yong (former Strategic Business Director at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation), and the provider lawyer Nam.


Deputy Director Kim is accused of conspiring with former Director Yoo and lawyer Jeong from April to August last year, around the time of the Democratic Party’s presidential primary, to receive 847 million won in four installments from lawyer Nam as election funds.


The prosecution’s approximately 20-page indictment did not explicitly name Lee and Jeong as co-conspirators in the receipt of election funds. However, their names were reportedly mentioned multiple times in sections explaining the charges against Deputy Director Kim and others.


Following the indictment, Deputy Director Kim’s side issued a statement saying, “The prosecution’s indictment for violating the Political Funds Act was premeditated,” and “The contents of the indictment are nothing but fiction.” They added, “They are even writing fabricated stories to implicate us as accomplices in Daejang-dong. We will put an end to the prosecution’s fictional stories,” and “We will definitely reveal the truth.”




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